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Sunday, May 22, 2016

FLOODING – Its mainly the fault of the system!

It is only going to get worse unless the systems change NOW

The system must be changed. This is only
the tip of the ICEBURG, as later on this year when the rains really come, (the
last week’s rain were minimal) it will get worse. Even this week, many people
who did not believe they were under threat, in fact had their homes go
underwater, resulting in quite a shock to those hitherto smug residents
believing them to be completely immune from attack!

The Prime Minister in his visit to
Biyagama flood victims was quite categoric with his insinuations as to who was
to blame for the cataclysm! In 1977,(40 years ago) when Biyagama was no more
than marshland and paddy fields, as Organizer for the area, planned a new BOI
Economic Zone there. He had identified that Kelani River Valley in that area as
particularly flood prone. Plans had been made to reduce this threat, none of
which have yet been implemented, and steps have been taken to actually
aggravate the problem even more!

This week’s flooding was an accident
waiting to happen. People together with political patronage, broke all regular
rules and procedures, and obstructed natural flood defenses, by destructive
sand mining projects that have reduced the height of the river banks significantly, unauthorized buildings,
hotels and halls on river banks, and filling up paddy lands to build structures,
that undermined the free flow of water, restricting their natural flow further squeezing
excess water further out inland. This has left a gradually increasing area, that
is flood prone that is only going to extend this area further with more development,
and human habitation, inland.

As quite normal in other Countries, a series
of berms or levies, raising river banks in certain risk areas, along with the above
restrictions would have easily prevented this unnecessary flood and waste of property
and loss of life. Why has this not been done here? It will have to be considered
and implemented immediately.

The Monsoon rains are yet to come next week.
Further floods are likely that will be much worse. NO contingency plans are being
made as I write to reduce this economic loss. Further a long term plan must be put
in place that is actually implemented, and not be stopped by another set of rulers!
This will include a series of levies, tearing down unauthorized structures, creating
a flood plain ONLY for agricultural use, with a long term plan of rehousing the
people displaced in condominium projects on higher ground as there is insufficient
property for each to have a house on terra firma.

This problem will only get worse each year
and this is THE ONLY solution. In fact houses unaffected this year will be affected
next unless the above is adopted.